Cold Steel Outdoorsman Lite discontinued

coloradowildman

coloradowildman

Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
1,197
I noticed recently that Cold Steel removed the Outdoorsman Lite from their website, so I called GSM/Cold Steel Customer Service and they verified that the Outdoorsman Lite is no more. This is a shame, because the 2021 version I have (4116 Stainless version - I bought two on sale earlier this year) is one of the best wilderness blades I've owned for the money. The tip is noticeably thicker and more robust than the tip on my AUS8 SRK, and Cold Steel increased the overall thickness of the blade from 3mm to a very respectable 4mm back in 2019. It appears that Cold Steel also fixed the sheaths in the 2021 version. I have two of the 2020 4034SS Stainless versions and they are really hard to remove from their sheaths. By comparison, my two 2021 4116 versions are much easier to draw out. Glad I was able to buy these for such a great deal. They have become some of my favorite wilderness blades.

So long Outdoorsman Lite......
 
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i confess of never being a fan of the early "lites".
cs wasn't kidding naming them such,
as they were exceptionally light weight
too bad it didn't fit my personal preference then.
but i m glad they found a market foothold.
as a product, they had a good run
i guess its sales figures which determines a model's life
and fate in a productline.
maybe it time for me to do a closer retake
and see if its a worthy acquisition now.
strange things can happen
once things become forever gone!
 
Definitely
DangerZone98 said:
That platform showed good potential. Other than the underwhelming steel, I like the ergos and the blade shape. Decent kitchen knife, I’d say.
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Definitely. I actually prefer 4116 for a cheap, hard use outdoor knife because it is tough, easy to sharpen, takes a sharp edge, rust resistant, and best of all, I don't have to worry about hurting it because it is so affordable to replace. Now that these are discontinued, I bought two on a blowout sale so that I have a backup. All the manufacturers are moving away from larger fixed blades, except for high end, expensive semi-customs, which is why I think these are such a great deal right now while they last.
 
jbmonkey said:
I like this knife and the tanto lite. good bargains when found at the right prices. glad I have one.
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Yeah, I picked up a Tanto Lite on sale recently and it is an amazing knife for the money.

Simple logic leads me to believe that if the Outdoorsman Lite was discontinued, then the Tanto Lite will be next on the chopping block.
 
Do you guys think the slimmer version in 4116 with cordura is better than the thicker 4034 version? Was the 4116 version that came with the polymer sheath thicker like the 4034 model?

Also, how rough are CS' factory seconds models?
 
IaccidentlyCutmyThumb said:
Also, how rough are CS' factory seconds models?
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Depends. The more inexpensive ones can have serious “cosmetic” issues. I bought two bushman 2nds, and both have bent blades and one has a problem where the retention piece pops out when drawing the knife (it’s a two piece sheath). I contacted the old cold steel regarding this and they said that it’s acceptable to them because it’s a 2nd.

On 2nd thought, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a factory 2nd that was one of their more expensive models.
 
My only experience with their 2nds was back in the Carbon V days. Most were difficult to tell why they were 2nds, but some might have minor issues like an uneven logo stamping, which was magnified by the epoxy coating. Had a CV Peace Keeper dagger 2nd that had an uneven centerline down the blade on one side. Also had a CV Recon Tanto 2nd that seemed perfect, but the sheath was missing the snap on one of the straps (it was the old style with 2 straps).
 
All of the Lites were a bargain I think after buying a few. Not a replacement for the original but I kinda got my cake and ate it too with the Lites.
 
IaccidentlyCutmyThumb said:
Do you guys think the slimmer version in 4116 with cordura is better than the thicker 4034 version? Was the 4116 version that came with the polymer sheath thicker like the 4034 model?

Also, how rough are CS' factory seconds models?
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The version that's out now (2021 model with 4116) is the best version. Same 4mm thickness, excellent cutting profile, easier to draw sheath, and a higher polish. I would only buy the 4034SS version as a collector's piece since it was made for just one year. 4034 is a lower quality steel than 4116 and the sheath is difficult to use.
 
IaccidentlyCutmyThumb said:
Are the 4116 ones with the polymer sheath thicker than the 4116 ones with the nylon sheath?
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No. You have to find an Outdoorsman Lite that was made starting in 2019 when they increased the blade thickness. From 2016 to 2018, the polymer sheathed Outdoorsman Lites were still just 3mm thick. Right now it's easy, because 99% of the Outdoorsman Lites still being sold on the internet are the 2021 version with the thicker blades and 4116 steel. I think it's only Midway that is still selling the Factory Second version of the 2020 4034SS version. When they were being sold by Midway for $16.99 recently, they were a great deal if you own a Work Sharp. The edge profiles on those factory seconds are unfinished and they need to be completely reground to cut normally. A much better deal is the 2021 version which is brand new, has better steel and needs no work. Midway is still blowing them out for $22 a piece right now I believe.
 
coloradowildman said:
No. You have to find an Outdoorsman Lite that was made starting in 2019 when they increased the blade thickness. From 2016 to 2018, the polymer sheathed Outdoorsman Lites were still just 3mm thick. Right now it's easy, because 99% of the Outdoorsman Lites still being sold on the internet are the 2021 version with the thicker blades and 4116 steel. I think it's only Midway that is still selling the Factory Second version of the 2020 4034SS version. When they were being sold by Midway for $16.99 recently, they were a great deal if you own a Work Sharp. The edge profiles on those factory seconds are unfinished and they need to be completely reground to cut normally. A much better deal is the 2021 version which is brand new, has better steel and needs no work. Midway is still blowing them out for $22 a piece right now I believe.
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That's where I bought mine, coming new with the polyester sheath and hopefully the bigger stock! Do you think it (the $22 one) will be thicker?
 
I don't know why they would discontinue a perfectly good knife that still sells. Usually when this happens, they've changed the design in a good way and want to make sure the old ones sell out. So they pretend they've discontinued it. That's what Benchmade always does, so I believe that's what's going on here.
 
jux t said:
Depends. The more inexpensive ones can have serious “cosmetic” issues. I bought two bushman 2nds, and both have bent blades and one has a problem where the retention piece pops out when drawing the knife (it’s a two piece sheath). I contacted the old cold steel regarding this and they said that it’s acceptable to them because it’s a 2nd.

On 2nd thought, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a factory 2nd that was one of their more expensive models.
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Interesting. IMHO, seconds should be perfectly functional and only have cosmetic issues at worst. The retention piece popping out is not cool.

Then again, the Bushman sheath isn’t exactly a long-haul solution. If the user enjoys the knife, it’s a good idea to get a better sheath for it.
 
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